Job Discussion Forums

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

With the flurry of recent grads showing interest in jobs in the Korea and Japan forums, I have to wonder where else they might be missing.

When I consider best, I think about;

1) salary relative to the cost of living

2) salary savings in real dollars per month (after all regular living expenses without having to live like a monk)

3) added benefits, for example housing or commutation allowance, etc..

4) living environment (safety, pollution, etc)

5) professional development/promotion opportunities

6) technical support

anything else I might have missed?

As some people have noted, Japan might not be your choice if you are not already established. I would have to state for the better jobs, typically part-time or full time uni gigs, you can make very good money once you're established here.

How long that might take with a minimum of a Master's in hand, preferably English language related, might vary, though I have seen people doing fairly well in as little as 2-3 years. Contacts are useful, if nothing else to get you in the door. Sometimes being hired is just being in the right place at the right time with some minimum qualifications (at one time that wasn't even necessary, but those days are pretty much over).

I would say that we rival the Middle East for making money, though housing is often not part of the job except for a few full time jobs in th boonies. I make an upper 5 figure income in US dollars, with some of my colleagues making 6 figures through a combination of either full time and some part-time work (many full timers work 4 days a week recently and), which can include non-teaching work depending on your skills and contacts. Some people will save as much as much as half their salaries or more depending on how much they travel and go out.

Of course if we're looking at beginning jobs, here it looks not as good. The starting salaries in Japan are better than in many other countries, and this is without any supplementation from private lessons and other part-time work. Unfortunately with the high cost of living in many urban areas, you may not be able to enjoy life that much. Luckily the first year, your insurance premiums will be pretty low as your previous year's income was zero in Japan (I was paying about 700 yen per month).

As stated in some threads, the 250,000 yen per month has been recently creeping down, and some 'cowboy' outfits will try to pay you below the government stated minimum. A person probably can save money, but initially will need money for 2-3 months to set up until the first pay checks start arriving.

Some added benefits that are usual are commutation allowance, with housing and research allowances available to full timers. Some unis have housing available to staff, but this is more common in rural areas.

The cost of living is relatively high, though eating out at some restaurants is not as some places compete to offer cheaper alternatives in the current downturn. Real grocery prices have fallen a little over the last few years, but they can still be very high in the metro areas and shopping around is a good idea. Being able to shop for some items in the suburbs can bring substantial savings in some cases.

Rents can vary depending on how much inconvenience you can put up with and the age of your building. If you don't mind being further away from the station and spending time getting to and fro, you can save a bit. Some apartments 30 minutes away or so from Tokyo will run as little as 50,000 yen a month, but down town the apartments will run more, perhaps 85k yen. Also the apartments tend to be on the small side, hence making the rents lower as long as you can deal with the claustrophobia.

http://www.numbeo.com/cost-of-living/comparison.jsp

The living environment in Japan is relatively good with violent crime especially being very rare (this partly due to having the highest ratio of police officers per 100,000 in the world). Pickpockets are rare, though of course care should be taken in major cities like most other places. The actual urban landscape at times can be a bit bleak, with concrete and tar being everywhere. Public transportation can be very good in the major cities.

Professional development and promotions are possible in full time posts, but next to impossible with part-time positions. Doing research with full timers will allow you to publish with shared credit for any research you do. This may help you in your career and get you noticed at least.

The technical support at various unis can vary from none to quite good depending on your position. Part-timers in particular are not well received in some cases, with any 'special' equipment sometimes not being 'available', whether it's being used or not. I do usually have video equipment and microphones, but only have CALL rooms available at one uni that I work at. Many public schools are still using chalk boards and may have very basic facilities, though they should have some kind of computer room that you may be able to use depending on the clout of the English language program at your particular school.

So, where is the best place to teach? Where is the best place to start?

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 8:45 pm Post subject:

anything else I might have missed?

Oh how utterly mechanical! What about the girls!?

Come to the Workers' Paradise. Make some good money too. Korea is fine for those who don't want to worry about teaching... Dunno about Japan, but wouldn't be surprised, hic! Here might not be the best place to start though... Russian students can be demanding and don't suffer fools gladly, hic!. Maybe for them the Far East is better after all...hic!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

The 'hics' happen in late-night posts.

Na zdravie to Proper Vodka, properly applied!

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:25 pm Post subject:

Eh? Early morning too, hic! Just in time for work, hic!

spiral78 · Joined: 05 Apr 2004 Posts: 11534 Location: On a Short Leash

Yeah, you're a couple of time zones further East than I Very Happy

Forgot.

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:32 pm Post subject:

The night is still young, even here. A bottle just recently opened. The freezer filled with many more...

Sashadroogie · Posted: Mon Aug 30, 2010 9:33 pm Post subject:

Hic!

gaijinalways · Joined: 29 Nov 2005 Posts: 2279

sashadroogie posted

naturegirl321 · Joined: 04 May 2003 Posts: 9041 Location: home sweet home

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 7:42 am Post subject:

Hard facts? Since when have they ever been important in a thread here? 5 figure salary? Is 50,000 not a 5 figure salary? How much is an upper one? 60, 70? How much of these figures are inflated boasts? Some posters claim that they make 100K a year in Moscow.

Dunno what thread you are referring to re 6/hr. But wouldn't be surprised. But as I've said before, university posts in Russia are not well-paid and if money is all you are aiming for, don't teach there - unless you are local and get all the added social benefits. However, if you like private teaching, you can charge from 30 EU to ..well whatever you like really per academic hour. Depends who you are teaching. Oligarchs like to pay over the odds for prestige.

As for teachers from the Far East, I can only base my assumptions, and indeed that is all they are, on my experience of working with other teachers who were out there. And drunk or sober I can deliver an infinitely more effective lesson than they can. Just personal, subjective experience, true - but the pattern has held for the last twenty-odd individuals thus far. (Though your assumption that I teach under the influence is of course just as lacking in hard evidence as anything you criticise me for.)

No contradictions either (you do so love that word don't you?) It is difficult to get legal employment in Russia. Schools can and do make all sorts of wild offers, but students can spot a fraudulent 'personality/therapist' teacher a mile off and are quick to drop him/her. But if you can really teach, and not just brag that you can, then you'll do just fine. Of course, this being the Workers' Paradise, you actually do have to work, You'll only get four weeks of paid hols with salary. No place for fat, lazy well-fed anybody here.

Didn't get your lesbian reference at all. But it was by far the most interesting part of your post. Tell us more...

stonecold · Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Posts: 39

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 11:30 am Post subject:

Never knew people of colour were welcome in Korea either. Hic! Sorry to hear nobody enjoys a socialist drink there...

Just curious, what do Korean students demand? Certainly not that their teachers have any grasp of English grammar and the teaching of it, to judge by the many, many ex-Korea teachers I've come across. Let's not even get started on vocabulary... or reading skills... classroom management... phonology...

Hic!

scot47 · Joined: 10 Jan 2003 Posts: 15343

"The Workers'Paradise" ? Did I miss something ? I thought there wqas a counter-revolution in 1991 !

Sashadroogie · Posted: Tue Aug 31, 2010 2:08 pm Post subject:

Jes Conter-revloytionary propagunda - hic!

stonecold · Joined: 30 Aug 2010 Posts: 39

The korean economy is one of the strongest and the russian economy...? Koreans demand good language skills, particularly in english, japanese and chinese. They are amongst the hardest working people in the world and they also "play hard" they have their racist dimension as in alll cultures but they are learning. The russians will always be commys. they are notoriously lazy because there is never any incentive to excel.

By the way, your constant repeating of Hic! makes me think you might be from West virginia?